


There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done

by ArgentNoelle



Category: Supernatural
Genre: 15x20 fix it, F/M, Gen, M/M, the ending we deserved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-20
Updated: 2020-11-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27645503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentNoelle/pseuds/ArgentNoelle
Summary: Dean is haunted by Cas’s death. Sam doesn’t know how to help. But as Dean drives one night to a familiar place, the place where it all began, he realizes that good things might happen after all... if you fight for them.Episode-style fix it, featuring story arc endings for Dean AND Sam
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Eileen Leahy/Sam Winchester
Comments: 12
Kudos: 113





	There’ll Be Peace When You Are Done

The shot focuses on DEAN, asleep in his bed. It’s angled so you can’t see the other half of his bed. Dean is lying on his side, and looks like he’s having a nightmare. His eyes fly open, and he calms himself for a moment before rolling over to look across the bed. The shot follows him to see CAS, under the covers beside him and obviously unclothed. There’s a glow, like sunrise, through the shot, making it look soft and peaceful, though that makes no sense since his room in the bunker has no windows, and an unobtrusive but calming background music.

CAS: [tilting his head, looking into Dean’s eyes] Dean? What’s wrong?

DEAN: Nightmare. I thought… [he pauses, evidently confused] I thought I’d lost something important…

CAS: What did you lose?

DEAN: I don’t know.... [he leans forward, buries his head in CAS’ shoulder. He still seems rattled]

CAS: [running a hand over Dean’s hair] Whatever it is, I’m sure you’ll find it.

DEAN: I hope so. [chuckles] How do you always make me believe in miracles, Cas?

CAS: [confused] Well, I am an angel.

DEAN rolls his eyes and is about to say something snarky with a grin on his face when—

Shot cuts to a farther one. From above, showing Dean alone sleeping on the side of his bed, waking up. No music. No light. Just the sounds of his gasping breath and the light from the clock on his bedside table. He sits up, turns on the lamp, eyes still wild and you can see that he’s a complete wreck. His eyes are bloodshot, he looks like he hasn’t slept well since Cas died, which he hasn’t. The look on his face is one of profound and inconsolable bafflement and loss. 

CUT TO SAM waking up. You see him walking out of the shower and getting ready, and to all intents and purposes, he looks like he’s doing fine. Not great, maybe, but definitely at least okay. SAM walks into the kitchen where DEAN is eating breakfast and already on his second beer. SAM looks, obviously notices, but doesn’t say anything. He sits at the table to join him.

CUT TO SAM doing laundry and reading, DEAN working on BABY, checking the motor, cleaning all the windows… as SAM is shown making phone calls, looking through books, eating lunch, DEAN is still working on BABY. He looks driven, almost frenzied, as though if he stops he’s going to fall apart where he stands. SAM stops by a door in the hallway and looks in, it’s obviously JACK’S room. It’s empty and dark. SAM doesn’t turn on the light but leaves the door open and stands there for a moment. He’s got a hollow expression, not entirely sad but not happy either.

CUT TO the library. SAM is on the computer when DEAN walks in, a duffle bag over his shoulder. 

DEAN: Hey.

SAM: Hey. ...You doing all right?

DEAN: I can’t stay here anymore. I need some fresh air for a few days. You’ll be okay?

SAM: [with a surprised huff of a laugh] Of course I will.

DEAN: Good. [awkward silence] Good. Well then… [clears throat] See you. 

He walks up the stairs toward the top of the bunker. Shot changes to SAM’S reaction. He looks worried and sad. You hear the clang of the door shut. SAM lets out a sigh and bows his head, closing his eyes. He speaks in a quiet tone…

SAM: Jack? I know you can hear me, and I know… you didn’t want people to pray to you, but… Dean’s not doing well, and I don’t know how to help… [shuddering sigh] actually, I’m not doing so well either. So, I mean, if you could… 

SAM opens eyes. Looks around. JACK is still, obviously, not there. SAM leans back in his chair, looking gutted, but just then his phone, lying on the table beside him, vibrates. He picks it up.

EILEEN: [text] Sam, how are you?

SAM: [slight smile, texts back] Not great, honestly.

EILEEN: [facetime request]

SAM: [accepts request]

EILEEN: [speaking and signing] I found a hunt, just a simple salt and burn. If you want to join me?

SAM: [speaking and signing] I’ll be there.

NIGHT. Exterior, the Impala is parked on the side of a long, empty stretch of highway with trees around it. There’s a dirt path like a long driveway, which is where it’s parked at the front of, but you can’t see where the path leads, except into the woods. 

CUT TO DEAN lying in the front seat, asleep, still from above. Then from the side, shot facing toward the back of the car. There’s a noise from the back seat, like someone shifting. DEAN’S eyes open, and he’s on the alert. He slowly inches up, hand reaching for a knife in its holster. The shot follows him until the camera, and DEAN, are peering into the backseat, where CAS is lying down, possibly asleep. As soon as it is clear that DEAN sees him, CAS opens his eyes, as though he’s sensed DEAN’S presence. He sits up.

CAS: Dean.

DEAN: [exhales] I’m dreaming, aren’t I.

CAS: [looks puzzled]

DEAN: [puts down knife, and reaches across the seat back. CAS leans forward till his hand is resting on the seat back and DEAN’S hand is resting on top of it. There’s a long silence.]

CAS: [gesturing to the car and the road] Where are you going?

DEAN: [sounding sad/lost/bitter] I don’t freaking know.

CAS: I’m sure you’ll realize when you get there.

DEAN: [brokenly] How the hell am I supposed to get there?

DEAN leans his head down until it’s resting on his elbows. When the shot cuts back to where CAS was, the seat is empty. DEAN opens his eyes blearily and stumbles outside, with his phone. He turns it on and you can see it says 12:00. He opens up SAM’S number and stares at it for a long time before not calling. He puts the phone down, and the shot follows it, becoming a close-up on the phone screen and the time. 

CUT to DEAN again, he’s leaning against the back of the Impala, drinking beer.

CUT to closeup of phone. 1:00.

CUT to DEAN again. Still drinking, but there are empty bottles by his feet.

CUT to closeup of phone. 2:00.

CUT to DEAN, he walks off a few paces and offscreen vomits into the bushes.

CUT to closeup of phone. 3:00.

In a motel room, that’s lit only through the exterior lights outside the uncurtained window, SAM wakes up, looking uneasy. As he sits up, he disturbs the other person lying beside him, who you see, as she sits up, is EILEEN.

EILEEN: Sam? What’s wrong?

SAM: [gets out of bed, unplugs his phone from the wall, and calls DEAN. The phone rings. And rings. SAM looks back at EILEEN, he looks scared.

SAM: [putting down phone so he can sign and speak] It’s Dean. I think something’s wrong.

EILEEN considers this for a moment. You can see her considering that this is the middle of the night, and SAM is probably overreacting, but then you can see her deciding to take this seriously.

EILEEN: [getting up, speaking and signing] You can track his phone, right? [she is just wearing an undershirt and shorts right now, but after she speaks she starts changing, pulling a shirt over her head]

SAM: [distracted, picking up the phone and speaking basically to himself] Yeah, I’m on it.

EILEEN starts packing everything and SAM jumps to his feet. They leave the motel room, [the shot continues from inside the room, showing them closing the door behind them.]

DEAN has finished putting branches over the Impala to hide it and is starting to walk down the trail. As he leaves, shot cuts to DEAN’S PHONE, sitting on the front seat, with his knife beside it.

DEAN walks through the woods, which are dark, crashing into things, scratching his arm on some brambles.

DEAN: son of a bitch!

Then DEAN stumbles out of the woods and sees a small field, with a barn in it. He walks toward it, interested and wary, and creaks open the door.

The moonlight is bright, but DEAN flicks his lighter open, and in the patches of brighter light, casting shadows on the walls, you can see numerous sigils spray painted on the walls. It looks like the barn where he first met Cas all those years ago.

DEAN walks further inside and trips over some farming tools. His lighter falls out of his hand and, fortunately, closes. Now it’s just moonlight again. DEAN pulls himself to a sitting position on a bale of hay.

DEAN: All right, Cas. I’m here. What now? [pauses. No answer. DEAN laughs self-deprecatingly, and then puts his head in his hands] Cas, man, I’m trying. I’m trying to be… to be the person you saw in me. [his voice gets choked up] to keep living for you… but I can’t. I need you. [silence. Long, resounding, and empty.]

DEAN takes a shuddering breath, leans his head up from his hands and you see that he’s been crying. 

DEAN: Fine. You want the truth? I don’t need you. I’ll survive… hell, I’ve done it before. But I don’t freaking want to. [a pause. DEAN looks almost surprised at his own words. Then, as though admitting something that is hard to say, even to an empty barn:] I want you here, Cas.

All of a sudden, something in the barn is moving. A space of blackness that is darker than the night shadows, and more gooey. It gets bigger and forms itself into a DOORWAY into the Empty. Dean stands up, steps toward it, and stops at the threshold. He reaches his hand through the doorway, and pulls it back. His hand is fine. Then he looks around in his pockets, and there’s a quick cut to DEAN’S PHONE sitting on the front seat of the Impala, with his knife next to it.

DEAN: ...Shit. [DEAN looks at the doorway to the Empty as though considering doing something very, very stupid. Then he steps through]

CUT TO SAM and EILEEN at the IMPALA, they’ve found the phone and start to run along the path through the trees, EILEEN has her gun out, SAM has a flashlight.

In the empty. It’s dark. At first DEAN wanders through darkness and silence, and then he hears cries of pain. As he comes closer, he sees CAS curled up on the “ground” with Meg!Empty torturing him.

DEAN: [rushing forward] You get your hands off him, you bitch!

THE EMPTY: Dean Winchester? [surprised, but recovering quickly] Who are you to give me orders.

DEAN: [with a cocky attitude, glancing at CAS, and obviously speaking to him, and not THE EMPTY] I’m the one who’s going to grip you tight and raise you from perdition.

CAS stands up, looking tired, and worried. He glances between DEAN and THE EMPTY.

THE EMPTY: [laughs] You can’t save him. Cas and I made a deal. Fair and square. His happiness brought him here and I’m never letting him go again.

DEAN: Oh yeah? And that’s how you get your kicks, is that it? Torturing people? You can’t stand how alone you are and you take it out on everyone else. Man I get that but you, you’re on a whole other level. Not caring about anyone else, you’re just… just... just  _ empty _ !

THE EMPTY: I want to sleep! I’m tired!

DEAN: [looking at the EMPTY for a moment, realizing] No one’s ever given a shit about you, have they.

THE EMPTY looks furious.

DEAN: God screwed you over. Billie—Well, Billie said she’d help you fall asleep, but let’s face it, she didn’t even have a clue how to begin. 

THE EMPTY: [hysterically] So I’ll stay awake forever, then! And so will everyone else!

DEAN: It doesn’t have to be that way.

THE EMPTY: You can’t save me. You’re just a hunter who got lucky… God’s little pet… 

DEAN: You’re right. I’m nobody special. [steps forward, looks her in the eyes] But I’m willing to try.

CUT TO SAM and EILEEN. They are now in the barn. SAM sees the portal to the EMPTY, which is closing, and notices DEAN’s lighter on the ground and puts two and two together.

SAM: [into the empty] Dean! [turns back to look at EILEEN.] The portal’s closing—Dean’s on the other side. He’s not going to make it back.

EILEEN: [speaking only, still holding her gun] Can you keep it open? 

SAM: You’d have to be a powerful witch to pull off a spell like that. I mean, I have some idea… Maybe, for a few minutes… [he’s started considering] But I can’t do it, without focal points, ingredients… there won’t be enough power…

EILEEN: [puts down her gun and holds out her hand] I trust you. We’ll make it. Together. [SAM stares at her, surprised, and grateful, and overwhelmed. He takes her hand and faces the portal. The shot shows the two of them from the back, the portal before them: Sam standing centered, EILEEN to his left. Then he turns his head as though noticing someone. Close up shot of ROWENA, in the pink dress. She smiles at him, and close up shot, puts her hand in his other hand. Back to wide shot, it’s just SAM and EILEEN again, but you get the idea that ROWENA is there in spirit. SAM starts to speak a spell.

CUT back to the Empty. THE EMPTY is lying on the “ground” looking uncomfortable. Cas is kneeling on one side of her, DEAN on the other.

THE EMPTY: How is this supposed to work?

DEAN: Uh… [embarrassed laugh; looks desperately at CAS, hisses] what should I do?

CAS: [exasperated] This was your idea!

DEAN: [annoyed] Sorry, I haven’t exactly been tucked in since I was four!

THE EMPTY starts to get up.

DEAN: Wait, wait! [everyone looks at him. Dean, rambling, continues] Uh, you know, my mother… she used to, uh… [laughs nervously] she used to say angels were watching over me. [Glances at Cas shyly, then away. Clears his throat.] And sometimes, she… she’d sing me a lullaby. 

[sings, thready and uncertain] Carry on my wayward son… [looks from Cas to the Empty and his voice gets firmer, more confident. He continues, acapella] There’ll be peace when you are done… lay your weary head to rest, don’t you cry no more. [by now his voice is strong and steady, and he’s gotten into the swing of it]

CUT TO SAM and EILEEN on the other side of the portal. You can see that SAM is still speaking, there’s the sound of thunder, and hear the words of the spell, overlaid with DEAN’S voice, still singing:

Once I Rose above the noise and confusion, just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion, I was soaring ever higher, but I flew too high… [as the shot focuses on SAM’s face, speaking the spell, looking powerful and confident]

CUT back to the empty, DEAN is singing and looking at CAS: 

Though my eyes could see, I still was a blind man, though my mind could think I still was a mad man, I hear the voices when I’m dreaming, I can hear them say [DEAN is now stroking THE EMPTY’S hair, THE EMPTY looks relaxed, quiet, and her eyes are fluttering shut]...

The SONG starts up in actuality for the chorus, 

Carry on my wayward son, there’ll be peace when you are done, lay your weary head to rest, don’t you cry no more.

As the chorus plays, DEAN and CAS stand up, and walk away from the now sleeping EMPTY. They hold hands and step forward—

And tumble out into the barn, where there’s a final crash of thunder and the song cuts out, and the portal closes.

SAM: Dean? [runs forward, hugs him] Cas! [All four of them embrace, then SAM and EILEEN step back. SAM is crying but looks happy. 

DEAN: [turning to CAS] I told you something, before I went into the Empty. Did you hear it?

CAS: No.

DEAN: I don’t need you.

CAS looks shocked, betrayed, but then resigned, tries to look like it doesn’t bother him

DEAN continues: but I want you. I want you here, Cas. With me. Please tell me you’ll stay. [He steps forward, uncertain, and CAS, with a blinding smile, says]

CAS: Of course I will. As long as you want me to. [he takes DEAN’S hand carefully and DEAN pulls him into a hug again, and then, looking into his eyes, puts both hands to the side of Cas’s head as he speaks]

DEAN: I want you to stay until I die. No matter what damn curses we have to deal with. What monsters. Or how bad it gets. Or… even if things are fine. Even when there’s nothing to do, even when we don’t need you… I want you to stay through all the boring, everyday crap…

CAS: [laughing and crying] Dean, yes. Yes, of course.

SAM: I now pronounce you man and angel.

DEAN: [looking over, half laughing and still overjoyed] shut up.

SAM: I don’t know dude, you kind of married him. [SAM looks at EILEEN, who has been watching, and repeats himself in sign language. EILEEN laughs.]

DEAN: [defensively blustering] No I didn’t.

ELEEN: [speaking and signing] Yeah. You kind of did.

DEAN: [at a loss for words, looks at CAS, who shrugs] Fine. Then… [obviously making his mind up on a whim, he leans close to CAS’s face and whispers] If you don’t want me to do this, just say no and I’ll forget all about it.

CAS: I told you yes and I’ll tell you until the day you—

DEAN: [kisses Cas, slow and sweet, and Cas reaches up to hold him. Then Dean breaks the kiss. He’s breathing heavily, mostly out of nerves, and can’t meet anyone’s eyes, but he says,]

DEAN: There. Now it’s official.

CUT TO exterior. Everyone is sitting on the hood of the Impala. SAM is opening a beer and offers one to DEAN, who shakes his head

DEAN: Nah, I think I already had enough of those tonight. [He is sitting in Cas’s lap and looks perfectly happy, and Cas is holding him like he’s never going to let go. Eileen is sitting next to SAM and she and SAM clink their beer bottles together.

Turns into a small montage [no sound] of them all talking and laughing. First from afar, then close up shots. But as it shows the close up shots, you see Jack sitting with them. It seems that they almost “feel” him. Farther out shot again, Jack is still there. At the same time, the song starts playing again:

Masquerading as a man with a reason 

My charade is the event of the season 

And if I claim to be a wise man, well It surely means that I don't know 

On a stormy sea of moving emotion 

Tossed about, I'm like a ship on the ocean 

I set a course for winds of fortune 

But I hear the voices say… [song ducks but continues playing, skipping the chorus and playing THIS under the next bit instead:

Carry on, you will always remember 

Carry on, nothing equals the splendor 

Now your life's no longer empty 

Surely heaven waits for you

JACK: [quietly, smiling] I love you. All of you.

SAM: [turning his head, as though noticing something] Did any of you feel something? A presence?

DEAN: Oh, come on. I don’t need any more ghost crap tonight.

SAM: no, not a spirit, just… a presence. It felt familiar. It felt like…

CAS: [quietly, knowingly, meeting Sam’s eyes] like family.

Song is at… “surely heaven waits for you” which is audible, and then:

FADE TO BLACK

Then, the very last chorus and the song ends, over black.


End file.
